Statement by Chinese Permanent Representative Wang Guangya at General Committee of 59th Session of General Assembly on "Taiwan's participation in the United Nations"

(15 September 2004)

2004/09/15

Mr. President,

The Chinese Delegation is strongly opposed to including item 159 of the draft agenda in the agenda of the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly. A very few countries have once again raised the issue of so-called "Taiwan's participation in the United Nations" this year. The purpose of such an act is nothing but to create "two Chinas", "one China, one Taiwan" in the United Nations. This not only completely runs counter to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the UNGA resolution 2758 (XXVI), but also constitutes a brazen challenge to the one-China principle widely recognized by the international community. The Chinese Government and people strongly condemn and firmly oppose such a gross encroachment on China's internal affairs. The Chinese Delegation stated fully the position of the Chinese Government on this question in the letter addressed to Secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan on 12 August this year. Now, I wish to reiterate the following points:

1. Taiwan has been an inseparable part of China's territory since antiquity. Both the 1943 Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation have reaffirmed in unequivocal terms China's sovereignty over Taiwan as a matter of international law. There is but one China in the world, and the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This is an objective reality that cannot be changed by anybody. To date, more than 160 countries in the world have diplomatic relations with China. They all recognize the one-China principle, and they all recognize that Taiwan is a part of China.

2. The issue of China's representation in the United Nations was long solved once and for all in political, legal and procedural terms. In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly at its twenty-sixth session adopted by an overwhelming majority resolution 2758 (XXVI), which recognized unequivocally that the representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China are the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations. Since Taiwan is a part of China, China's representation in the United Nations naturally includes Taiwan. Therefore, there is simply no such issue as the so-called "Taiwan's representation in the United Nations". Any attempt to distort or even deny the UNGA resolution 2758 (XXVI) is futile.

3. The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization composed of sovereign States. As a part of China, Taiwan is not eligible to participate, in whatever name and under whatever pretext, in the work or activities of the United Nations or its specialized agencies. The General Committees of the successive sessions of the General Assembly since 1993 have all flatly refused to include the so-called issue of "Taiwan's participation in the United Nations" in the agenda of the General Assembly. This has fully demonstrated the determination of the vast number of UN Member States to safeguard the UN Charter and the UNGA resolution 2758 (XXVI). It also shows that the Taiwan authorities will receive no support and are doomed to failure in their attempt to split China by raising the so-called issue of "Taiwan's participation in the United Nations".

4. The question of Taiwan is purely an internal matter of China. The position of the Chinese Government on the question of Taiwan is firm and clear. We will continue to adhere to the fundamental principles based on Mr. Deng Xiaoping's concept of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems" and to Mr. Jiang Zemin's "Eight-point Proposition on the Development of Cross-Straits Relations and the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of the Motherland". Adherence to the one-China principle is the basis for the development of cross-straits relations and the realization of peaceful reunification. The Chinese Government has made consistent and unswerving efforts for the development of cross-straits relations and the realization of China's peaceful reunification. The Chinese Government has stated repeatedly that on the basis of one China, any topic can be discussed between the two sides across the Straits, including the scope of Taiwan region's participation, in suitable capacity, in international economic, cultural and social activities. President Hu Jintao recently pointed out that we will try our utmost with greatest sincerity to achieve peaceful reunification, but we also have resolute will and are fully capable of destroying any attempt to separate Taiwan from China. To safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity and realize complete reunification of the motherland at an early date is the common aspiration and strong will of the 1.3 billion Chinese people, including our Taiwan compatriots. Nobody nor any force can change or stop it.

5. Respect for State sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference in a country's internal affairs are important principles of the UN Charter cherished by all countries in the world. We appreciate the just position adopted by the vast number of UN Member States in abiding by the one-China principle. We believe that the General Committee of the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly will, as always, refuse once again to include the so-called issue of "Taiwan's participation in the United Nations" in the agenda of the General Assembly.